crack me up and warm my heart

Colson was looking contemplative when Daddy asked him what he was thinking about. "Well, I think I know why we're called 'human beans'. 'Cuz, first of all, we're human and then, when God looks down at us from heaven, we look so little that we look like beans!!"

****

When at a doctor's appointment checking on Kaden's ears, the doctor asked him, "Why are we here?"

Kaden didn't miss a beat, "I'm here for Jesus!" and threw his hands up in the air.

(every day as I drop them off at school I ask, "Who are you?" "To Whom do you belong?" and "Why are you here?" ... usually the answer is "to love and serve others", but "Jesus!" works too!)

****

I was sick in bed one morning and Kaden could not handle it. He came in multiple times with 'Love' cards, water, peanuts, anything he thought would help me to feel better. He told me, "Mommy, I love you so much! I will love, love, LOVE you forever. You will always be the one girl that I love for always!" I mentioned to him that one day he may have a wife that will be the girl just for him and he stated, "Well, then, I'm gonna bring her over here and show her my mommy and tell her everything you did for me when I was a kid. Then she'll love you too!"

****

Another morning Kaden came into my room dressed as a policeman. "Mommy, I am going to be your policeman and protect you from all the mean guys there are! And when I grow up, I'm gonna be an army guy so that I'll keep you and all of America safe from the mean guys, OK?"

****

Kylee was awarded a trophy for placing in her first meet. Of course, we're proud of all her hard work, trophy or not. Her childlike innocence shone through when she came home from school one day and asked, "Mom, I told my teacher that I got a piston cup at my meet and she told me I could bring it to school and show her. Can I?"

****

While driving, I pushed the button to close the back windows where my boys were sitting. Immediately Colson asked, "Mommy, could you please open my window?"

I explained to him that it was getting a little too cool for windows to be open and he listened before stating, "Well, then, I don't know how I'm going to get my fingers out!" His poor little fingers had been closed in the window! My poor baby - he was polite and patient all the while. Needless to say, I felt terrible.

****

The kids know that we don't have a lot of say when it comes to the future of our baby girl. We've talked about the different layers of government and their responsibilities in the past, but it still surprised me one morning when Kaden came to the breakfast table and asked, "So, Mom, what does the government have to say about our Tiny?"

****

Apparently, the President and I were on the same freeway at the same time on the same day in the same city. I was a bit concerned when I saw all the police vehicles lining the entire freeway and every single exit and entrance. Then I saw lines of fancy, black, shiny cars and remembered that Mr. Obama was to be making a visit to one of the local factories that day and it all made sense. Ever since that day, the boys always ask me when we enter the freeway, "Mom, do we get to see the government on the road again today???"

my little girl's first competition

What a rush of adrenaline!! For 2 years now my little girl has been working so hard gaining strength and flexibility and skills and this was the first meet to show off all her hard work. However, also accompanying a first competition, are a whole lot of unwanted nerves that are cause for wobbly knees and shaky feet. The coaches warned us going into it that this was expected to be a hard meet and that better ones were to come.

Of course, we would be proud of our girl no matter what! The week prior she read through her Bible searching for verses to memorize that might bring her comfort and encouragement on her big day. It was so sweet. She knows that God is the one who gave her the skills and abilities that she has, and she was determined to "work at it will all her heart as working for the Lord and not for man." (Colossians 2:23).

In the end, she did pretty well. She placed 10th, qualified for state, and scored all 8's or 9's on each of her events. Not bad for meet #1. However, one of my most proud moments of all was actually when she fell off the beam. It was a hard fall and I just wanted to jump out there and scoop up my darling and comfort her, telling her she was still so amazing. However, I wasn't allowed and neither was I needed. My little girl jumped up, climbed right back on the beam and after some wobbles and another fall (oh goodness, my heart might have stopped for a few moments) she pulled herself together and finished so very strong. So very often in this life we, as parents, want to protect our little ones from hard times and challenges. There wasn't anything that I wouldn't have done in that moment to keep her from falling, knowing full well that she's landed the very skill 1000 times in practice. However, watching her recover herself and finish strongly brought her such confidence and has given an even greater resolve to do better next time.

Not that it matters to us. We're already so very proud of our little shining star.

(if somebody knows why the right half of the video is cut off and how to fix it, I would much appreciate it!)

fall has come

It's time for change. Flip flops to boots, swim suits to sweaters, green leaves to gold, salads and berries to stewing and baking. LOVE this time a year ... especially when the kids get home from school!! :O)

blink

It happens in a blink...

it happens in a flash...

This past week has been hard on the heart. I'm in the midst of an identity crisis as the years I spent wholeheartedly devoted to my little ones at home has shifted into a new season of life and motherhood that I don't feel as prepared for. How very, very quickly the time passed by. In the quiet moments I have had, I can't help but reflect upon the last several years of our journey together:

How well did I unselfishly give of my time and my energy to my little ones? Did my children know that they were a joyous blessing ... or did I too often make them feel like a burden? Did I give them all the focused attention that they deserved? Was I their cheer leader, encourager and comforter as often as I needed to be? Did I give them direction, security, stability and help them develop a heart for God and His purposes? Did they sense the joy I felt at being their mommy, caring for their needs, comforting their fears and kissing their owies? In a world and culture where the role of "mom" is much too easily devalued, do my kids know how very fulfilled I feel being their mom and how very worthwhile my time at home has been? Though I wish I had some "do overs", I wouldn't trade a moment of my time with them for the world.

"The hard, daily, repetitive work of making a home a haven, providing healthy meals, correcting and training little ones, and constantly cleaning up messes is perceived as menial labor instead of the stuff from which godliness is built."
- Sally Clarkson, The Mission of Motherhood

"Those foundational years in the life of a child - those same years when I sometimes thought I was accomplishing nothing - have a lasting effect on almost every aspect of the rest of that child's life."
- Sally Clarkson, The Mission of Motherhood

So, here we go kiddos!! Though it may take me some time to get used to, I will embrace this beautiful new season of life and continue to devote myself wholeheartedly to this wonderful, meaningful role of mommy to each of you!!